Short rail for beds.



No. 875,703. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

0. G. PRANKS.

SHORT RAIL FOR BEDS.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

ORRIN G. FRANKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO 'll'lll SENO COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION.

SHORT RAIL FOR BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7', 1908.

Application filed March 18.1907. Serial No. 363.031-

T o all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I., ORRIN G. FmxNKs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Short Rails for Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of metal beds, and is more especially an improvement in what are commonly known as short-rails and employed for the purpose of connecting the head and foot sections of the bed in substantially the same manner as the usual side rails but in closer relation to economize space in (pxhibiting the principal parts ol a metal be The objects of the invention are to provide a construction of short-rail which can be cheaply manufactured; will securely and 'firmly connect the sections of the bed so that they may be moved or shifted without affecting the rigidity 0i` the connection; may be readily and conveniently applied; and will be durable in use.

Other though minor objects of the invention will hereinafter be apparent, and what I claim as new will be specifically set 'forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view through one of the securing bolts, on the line 2%#3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the upper' connecting plate. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the lower connecting plate.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the igures of the drawings.

Referring to said drawings, 1 designates one of the corner posts of the head section of a metal bed, and 2 a corner post of the vfoot section, said posts being provided with the chilled rail-sockets 3 and 4, respectively, having the usual dovetailed or keyhole shaped slots 5 which receive the ends of the side rails ofthe bed. As is usual these dovetailed or keyhole shaped slots 5 are tapered from top to bottom.

In carrying out my invention I employ two connecting plates, an upper plate 6 and a lower plate 7, and the ends of said plates are shaped so as to bear against the railsockets and engage within the ends of the dovetailed slots, and are therefore similarly shaped with the exception that the slot engaging portions ol the upper plate are larger than the corresponding portions ol the lower plate, to accommodate the respective ends oi the slot. In the present instance these plates are l'ormed ol" stamped metal, and shaped so that the upper plate 6 will have near each end and on its under side a circular boss 6L extended at its inner side, as at 6b, adapted to take into the upper or larger end of the slot 5 in the rail-socket; while the lower plate 7 is provided with a similar shaped boss 7 and extension 7" on its upper side and somewhat smaller so as to [it within the lower or smaller end oll the aforesaid slot. It will be understood, of course, that the larger or circular portion olf each boss lits into the larger portion oiI the dovetailed or keyhole shaped slot in the rail-socket, and that the extension at one side of said circular portion ol' the boss lits within the narrower portion ol" the slot. I preler that the extensions ol the bosses be continued along the longitudinal centers oi the plates, as shown, so asto torni strei'igthening ribs. rl`he bosses are preferably slightly beveled at their edges so that they will bind in the ends of the slots when clamped therein by the connecting bolts S, and for the purpose ol receiving these connecting bolts the larger or circular portion olt each boss is provided with an opening, the opening, as -in the plate 6 being round to receive the threaded end ol the bolt, while the opening, as .10, in the plate 7 is square to receive the correspondingly shaped shoulder S ol1 the bolt to prevent rotation ol the latter when the securing nut is turned. In connection with thc bolts winged thumb-nuts 11 are employed and are adapted to bear upon the upper plate 6, and in order that the bottom ot the nut will be on a line with the upper surface of the plate the depressed boss 6L is raised around the bolt-opening, as indicated at 6"".

In applying a short-rail constructed as hereinbelore described the-thumb-nut at one end is loosened and the bolt and ends of the plate are slid laterally into engagement with one ol the rail-sockets, the nut being then partly tightened to loosely connect the plates to said socket. The thumb-nut at the other end of the short-rail is then loosened and the other rail-socket moved so that it will slide in between the ends of the plate. Both thumb-nuts are new tightened to sccurely and iirmly clamp the plates to the sockets and thus connect the sections of the bed rigidly together. of course, that two short-rails are used in connection with each metal bed, one for each side of said bed.

In applying and removing the short-rails it is not necessary to remove the thumb-nuts, but simply to loosen them sufficiently to permit the rail-sockets of the bed sections to slide in between the ends of the plates, and in this operation the bolts pass into the keyhole slots and lie within the larger portions thereof.

When the plates are applied and clamped against the upper and lower sides of the railsockets the bosses on said plates will intimately engage into the opposite ends of the dovetailed or keyhole shaped slots and ywill thus prevent any play at the connections or joints, thereby rigidly connecting the sections of the bed so that they will not wabble or become loose when moved or shifted in exhibiting the bed.

It will be seen that the construction provides a very simple, effective and inexpensive form of short-rail for metal beds, and one that can be put in use a number of times without affecting its gripping vor clamping qualities.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In a short rail for metal beds, the combination with the rail-sockets having vertical slots therein, of plates bearing against the upper and lower ends of the sockets, bosses projecting inwardly from the plates and closely fitting in the ends of the slots, and bolts for connecting the plates and clamping them against the ends of the sockets with the bosses engaging the slots, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a short-rail for metal beds, the combination with the rail-sockets having vertical slots therein, of plates bearing against the upper and lower ends of the sockets, bosses projecting inwardly from the plates and engaging in the ends of the slots, the engaging It will be understood, l

edges of said bosses being beveled, and bolts for connecting the plates and clamping them against the ends of the sockets, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a short-rail for metal beds, the combination with the rail-sockets having vertical slots therein, of upper and lower plates having bosses on their inner faces adapted to fit into the ends of the slots in the rail-sockets, said plates having bolt-holes extending through the bosses, bolts engaging the boltholes, and nuts threaded on the bolts and adapted to clamp the plates against the railsockets.

4. In a short-rail for metal beds, the combination with the rail-sockets having vertical slots therein, of upper and lower plates having bosses on their inner faces with bolt-holes therethrough, the bolt-holes in one of the plates being rectangular, bolts engaging the bolt-holes and having shoulders which engage the aforesaid rectangular openings, and winged nuts threaded on the bolts to clamp the plates against the rail-sockets and so that the bosses engage into the ends of the slots therein.

5. In a short-rail for metal beds, the combination with the rail-sockets having vertical slots therein, of upper and lower clamping plates formed of stamped metal to provide bosses near their ends connected by a depressed rib extending longitudinally of the plate, said bosses being shaped to engage the opposite ends of the slots in the rail-sockets and pierced to provide bolt-holes, connecting-bolts engaging said bolt holes, and winged nuts threaded on the bolts and adapted to clamp the plates against the rail-sockets, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORRIN G. FRANKS. Witnesses:

FRANK J. SENG, GERARD J. BIoHL. 

